Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

The Environmental Protection Agency has reaffirmed its approval of North Dakota's plan to address haze caused by coal-fired power plants, rejecting an appeal by environmental groups who favor a federal plan.

The United States has accused the Chinese government of providing prohibited subsidies on a wide range of the country's exports, providing an unfair advantage in the marketplace and hindering American businesses.

It’d be a comedy of errors if it was funny. But for the former executives of Freedom Industries, there hasn’t been much to laugh about since the Jan. 9 2014 spill into the Elk River that catapulted them into the spotlight.

Old industrial control systems have given way to the ease of ubiquitous Ethernet and IP technology. This shift has helped spark an explosion of digital devices on plant floors, and increased the demand for the higher performance, bandwidth and reliability offered by a highly structured, standards-based network infrastructure.

Procter & Gamble said Tuesday that it plans to invest $500 million in a West Virginia manufacturing facility and expects to create 700 jobs. The more than 1 million-square-foot facility is scheduled to open in 2017.

A General Motors stockholder representing four investment funds has told the company he'll seek a seat on its board at the annual meeting this summer and will push for an $8 billion stock buyback to take place by next year.

The number of available jobs posted by U.S. employers rose in December to the highest level in 14 years, a sign recent strong job gains will likely continue. Employers also filled more jobs and more employees quit, two additional signs of an improving labor market.

Berner Food & Beverage is a leading private label and store brand producer and contract manufacturer of beverages, cheese products and other dairy-based foods, and Berner's current product line represents a significant evolution from a company that opened in 1941 as a maker of natural cheeses.

China said its recent gas discovery in the politically volatile South China Sea could yield 100 billion cubic meters of natural gas, underlining Beijing's determination to extract resources from waters claimed by several nations.

Willamette Valley businesses that rely on overseas shipments say they are frustrated by the delays that have come with bargaining over a labor contract at West Coast ports, and some say the effects have hit them coming and going.